Why Tottenham should look to a defensive midfield recruit this summer

With Tottenham Hotspur likely to be busy this summer as they aim to reach the Champions League next season, defensive midfield should be an area they look to improve.

Defence is clearly somewhere head coach Mauricio Pochettino has identified as an area in need of improvement, with two new defenders added already.

A defensive midfielder should be next on the list of potential recruits; it is an area in which the side is particularly lacking. Benjamin Stambouli was brought in but doesn’t look like he will make the grade, while Etienne Capoue has also failed to impress.

But given Pochettino’s desire to have his team pressing high up the pitch, a player in that position is somewhat of a necessity, as a solid defensive midfielder would allow his side to do so without leaving the back four overly exposed in the process.

It is something the top teams are acutely aware of. If you look at those clubs above Spurs in the Premier League standings, most have a solid defensive midfielder in their side. Champions Chelsea have the excellent Nemanja Matic, Arsenal have Francis Coquelin and Manchester United have both Daley Blind and Michael Carrick.

Matic has proved an exceptional investment for Jose Mourinho, while Coquelin’s emergence for the Gunners last season added better balance to their performances.

Not many options available

Even teams around Spurs have that type of player, with Liverpool likely to use Emre Can there in future and Southampton using both Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama to great effect in that position.

Where they would find one of the quality needed, however, is a big issue, with it being a position many clubs are looking to improve but with few players who fill that role available.

Schneiderlin would have been an option and has been targeted in the past, per the Express, but he now looks likely to head somewhere else. Everton’s James McCarty is another who would fit the bill, and has been linked by the Daily Mail, although the Blues are unlikely to sell their star man. After that, the options become more limited.

If Tottenham truly want to return to the Champions League, though, a defensive midfielder looks like a necessity. Without one, you fear that the top four may remain beyond their reach for the foreseeable future.

Sean Lunt

Sean Lunt is a Journalism and Spanish graduate with a passion for football. As an avid Everton fan he has survived the Walter Smith era, enjoyed the resurgence under David Moyes and is now wholly embracing the Spanish revolution with Roberto Martinez. Away from Everton he follows the rest of the football league and has a particular interest in La Liga.